The 22-year-old man, of Moroccan origin, was trying to flee the national police in Bagnols-sur-Cèze.
The events took place on December 24, 2024 in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. A national police patrol carries out road checks. It was 10 p.m. when the police noticed that a Renault Mégane was not respecting the give way at a roundabout. They signal him to stop, but the vehicle accelerates and flees at high speed. The police in neighboring villages were alerted.
Two gendarmes from Pont-Saint-Esprit intervene as reinforcements. They spot the Renault Mégane further away, on the opposite lane. The rotating lights and horns are then activated. The driver then began to zigzag on the road and collided head-on with the police car. Following the accident, a brigadier was injured in the knee and stomach; he had three days of ITT. The second has a sprained neck and four days of ITT.
The 21-year-old man has been in France for three years, and has been required to leave French territory (OQTF) since August 2023. His criminal record is clean. He is in a relationship and works in the Gard markets. Judged this Friday, January 17 by the Nîmes criminal court, the defendant half admits the facts. “I was on the run because I was drunk and scared. But I did not wish them to attack, they are the ones who came in my way”, he explains from the box.
-The public prosecutor is asking for two years in prison, a committal warrant and a permanent ban from the national territory. He adds: “We have enough delinquents in Gard for others to arrive from elsewhere.” Master Carmelo Vialette pleads for the defense: “Monsieur did not do his actions to cause harm, but because he was truly afraid. He never wanted to hurt anyone, he simply wanted to escape. This is not intentional violence. When we flee, we don't try to have an accident, because we know that we will be immobilized. His record is clean, he has never been talked about.”
The Nîmes criminal court sentenced him to 18 months in prison, continued detention and a permanent ban from the national territory. He must also pay €1,900 to the victims for their moral damage.
